Dailen Castillo, OTD, MBA, OTR

Associate Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Dr. Dailen Castillo is an Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Castillo earned her doctoral degree in occupational therapy (PP OTD) from Chatham University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 2016. She received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas Permian Basin in 2020 and her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy (BS) from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, in 2000. Her doctoral capstone focused on how early mobilization with critically ill patients in the intensive care unit positively impacts functional outcomes in activities of daily living.

Dr. Castillo has 20 years of experience as a clinical occupational therapist. Her experience includes working with adults and the older adult population. She has clinical experience working in skilled nursing facilities, acute hospitals, neonatal intensive care units, critical care, acute rehabilitation, home health, outpatient facilities and has over 10 years of leadership and managerial experience. Throughout her clinical experience, Dr. Castillo has served as a fieldwork educator and mentor for Fieldwork Level I and Level II students. She has previously served as the lead and mentor for Chatham University’s OTD mentoring program to assist students with their capstone development and projects.

Dr. Castillo has served as the secretary and is currently the chair of the Advisory Board of the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at St. Philip's College in San Antonio, Texas. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Texas Occupational Therapy Associate (TOTA). In addition, she is a representative for the Committee on Diversity and Equity (DEI) for the Texas Occupational Therapy Association and is a member of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD).

In October 2023, Dr. Castillo contributed to a book chapter for a book titled, Home Care for Older Adults Using Interprofessional Teams that is now published and available as an eBook and hard copy with Springer. This textbook fosters a deeper understanding of how home healthcare goals for older adults can be achieved through interprofessional collaboration. The contributors created a context where allied health and healthcare professionals can acquire and exchange knowledge about their diverse disciplines and practices for the betterment of the home care population.

Dr. Castillo is a co-investigator for the $5.2 million Mental Health Service Providers Demonstration grant for the University of the Incarnate Word’s OTD Program. This five-year grant, provided by the Department of Education, will serve surrounding communities and students, school districts and OTD students. The primary investigator and Dr. Castillo developed initiatives to increase the number of mental health service providers available in school districts, create evidence-based trainings, provide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, increase the number of providers from diverse backgrounds and create sustainability of the programs. This grant elevates the understanding of the vital role occupational therapist have in providing mental health services while also exemplifying the UIW mission and commitment to serving the surrounding communities.